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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30142920">One Big Stellaride</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/sugarspice623/pseuds/sugarspice623'>sugarspice623</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Chicago Fire</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Stellaride, relationship, supportive boyfriend, you got this stella kidd</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 18:08:17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,689</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30142920</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/sugarspice623/pseuds/sugarspice623</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Kelly and Stella couldn't be happier as the main couple of Firehouse 51. Of course they have their ups and downs, but they come back even stronger.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Stella Kidd/Kelly Severide</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Lieutenant Kidd?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hey everyone!! I am finally transferring my final story from FF.net over here to AO3! It's a Stellaride story. Sorry this took so long for me to upload, I had other stories I wanted to start and work on, but I'm finally uploading it today! These chapters were written a long time ago, so they were based on earlier episodes of season 9 and around the holiday season, just to let you know. Hope you enjoy!!!</p>
    </blockquote><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>After Boden tells Stella that she's ready to take the lieutenant's exam, Kelly helps her study.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This one was based off of 9x01 when I first wrote it, but it could apply to later episodes this season as well.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The past few weeks have been big for Stella Kidd. Chief Boden told her that he recommended that she take the lieutenant's exam and he has told her many times that she is more than ready to take on a position of leadership, especially since there are very little women and people of color in power at the CFD. Her Girls on Fire program showed that. When she told her boyfriend, Lieutenant Kelly Severide, about it, he promised that he would help her study and do whatever else she needed his help on. That's exactly what they were doing when they had shifts off.</p><p>Kelly knew a thing or two about leadership. He's the rescue squad lieutenant, plus he's taught a few classes at the academy, so he has his connections and resources. There were textbooks and flashcards galore in their apartment and the two of them would not stop until Stella got everything down pat. Casey even helped them out one night. This time, however, he was observing them from the couch.</p><p>Kelly had a flashcard in his hand that Stella made and was asking her questions from it. "What is the difference between Type A and Type B extinguishers?" Casey was sitting on the couch watching.</p><p>"Type A uses pump type extinguishers of pressurized water. Type B extinguishers can be controlled by any common citizen." Stella answered, happy with her answer.</p><p>"Correct!" He flipped to the next flashcard. "What causes variation in toxic gases? There are 3 answers."</p><p>"Nature of the combustible." Kelly held up one finger to show she got it. "Heating rate." Another finger went up. Stella paused for a minute before thinking about it. "Come on, Stella, you got this!" Kelly said. "Oh, the temperature of evolved gas!" Stella said. "Yes!" Kelly hugged Stella and twirled her around in the process.</p><p>"Damn, Stella! You're definitely ready for this!" Matt said and hugged her as well.</p><p>"I agree. Now how about some beers? We need a break from studying!" Kelly said. He got 3 beers out of the fridge and Stella, Kelly, and their third wheel, Matt, sat on the couch and put a movie on. Stella couldn't wait to take the lieutenant's exam now that she had proof and reassurance that she was ready.</p>
<hr/><p>The next morning, Stella was getting ready to head to the Fire Academy to take the lieutenant's exam. To say that she wasn't nervous was an understatement. Nervousness took over her body the minute she woke up. She was excited, but it is completely normal to be nervous. Boden gave her the day off to take it, so there's one good thing.</p><p>Kelly walked out in his lieutenant gear and Matt did the same thing, only he was in his captain gear. They were confident that Stella had this in the bag. "Hey. Are you ready for this?" Kelly asked his girlfriend.</p><p>"Yeah. I'm nervous as hell, though," Stella answered.</p><p>"Don't be. If our study sessions showed anything, it's that you're ready. You've been a great leader to those girls. Now it's time that you made it official." He kissed her.</p><p>"Thank you. I needed that," Stella smiled at him. Matt looked at his watch and told Kelly that they had to go. Before they got their feet out the door, Stella yelled out one more time to Kelly. He turned around. "Can you just tell me one more time that I got this?" Kelly smiled and then said, "You got this Stella Kidd!"</p><p>"What he said," Matt said. "Good luck!" Both men waved at Stella and she waved back. Stella left not too long after they did and when she got to the academy, she sighed before getting out of her car. She walked into the academy, not as nervous as she was before. Kelly knew how to calm her down and she was super grateful for that. Stella was ready, there was no doubt about it. Everyone at 51 was in her corner. Once she got her exam, she took another deep breath and went to work.</p>
<hr/><p>A couple nights later, everyone at Firehouse 51 was hanging out at Molly's. Stella was behind the bar and Kelly was seated on the barstool across from her. It was a routine thing they had every time she was bartending. The happy couple was listening to everyone else's conversations, occasionally chiming in with comments of their own. Suddenly, Stella's phone rang. Kelly looked at her and wondered who it was. Stella said it was the academy and she excused herself to go take the call. Kelly was worried, but at the same time, he was excited.</p><p>"Hello? Yes, this is she. Okay. Alright. Thank you so much!" Stella said throughout the call. She walked back to the crew who was expecting the news right off the bat.</p><p>"Well?" Kelly said with a smile. There was another pause much to the chagrin of the crew.</p><p>"I PASSED!" Stella said with excitement. Everyone at Molly's cheered and clapped for her. There were a few people from the 21st district and Med at the bar too. Champagne was being poured on her and she couldn't be happier. Kelly pulled her into his arms and kissed her like it was their last kiss on Earth. He was proud of his girlfriend for not giving up on her leadership dreams and he was happy that she passed. Stella felt the same way.</p><p>"Look out 51, there's a new power couple in the house!" Ritter said. Everyone laughed, including Stella and Kelly. That statement could not be more true, and they were ready to show their power together. As Kelly always says to Stella every time she's nervous, they've got this!</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Art of Mixology</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Stella challenges Kelly to go behind the bar at Molly's for one night only. She might be surprised at how good he actually is at it!</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I can explain this one, guys! So, I kinda envisioned Kelly having some sort of bartending past for some reason. Yes, I know, I'm weird. But, anyway, it could be where Stella's sick or she has something to do and she can't manage Molly's on the day she was scheduled but Kelly, being the awesome boyfriend he is, offers to step up and run the bar instead.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It's been a couple days since Stella passed the lieutenant's exam. Her life couldn't be better at the moment. Girls on Fire was going great. The girls really love to learn about being a firefighter. She wouldn't be surprised if they walked through those doors of 51 a few years down the line. Plus, her relationship with Kelly was better than ever and she was very happy about that. Stella understands that she might not get placed as a lieutenant right away. That's how Herrmann was: he finally passed the lieutenant's exam, but didn't actually become an officer until the lieutenant from engine stepped down, making way for him to run the show. Stella is more than okay with waiting until the right time comes for her to be an officer.</p><hr/><p>Stella walked into Kelly's office and sat on the edge of his bed. He smiled when he saw her and stopped his paperwork. She was more important. "Are you up for a challenge?" Stella asked him. Kelly was so confused right now.</p><p>"That depends. Should I be worried?" Kelly replied.</p><p>"You shouldn't. I ran this idea by Herrmann and he's okay with it." Kelly looked at her baffled. With Herrmann knowing about it, it could be anything. "How would you like to be behind the bar at Molly's for one night only?"</p><p>"I'm sorry. What?"</p><p>"You. Behind the bar. Making drinks. At Molly's. Tomorrow night. You in?"</p><p>"Where did this idea even come from?" Kelly chuckled.</p><p>"Well, everyone was in the common room talking about how we need to change up the bartenders at Molly's a little. I'm not saying hire new ones right off the bat. Maybe just shake things up behind the bar every once in a while. Like, you run it one night. Casey runs it one night. Cruz runs it one night. You know what I'm saying?"</p><p>"Well, when you put it like that, I guess I can't argue."</p><p>"Does this mean that you're in?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>"Great! I'm gonna go tell Herrmann!" Stella opened the door and ran off to tell Herrmann the great news. Kelly chuckled at her excitement.</p><hr/><p>The door was open in Casey's office, so Kelly decided to go in and talk to him about this new development.</p><p>"What did I just get myself into?" Kelly asked Matt as he walked in.</p><p>"Hello to you too. Would you care to elaborate on that? I don't exactly know what you're talking about," Casey replied.</p><p>"Stella just asked me to man the bar at Molly's tomorrow night. I said I'd do it."</p><p>"Really? This I have to see!" Kelly gave him a look.</p><p>"She was saying how they need to shake things up behind the bar every once in a while. How she got Herrmann to agree to that is beyond me."</p><p>"I think Herrmann is one of those people that just can't say no to Stella. He sees her like one of his own kids, so that's probably why."</p><p>"Yeah, you're probably right. I wouldn't put it past her if she ropes you into getting behind that bar at Molly's one night. She's already planning on that."</p><p>"Great. I'll be ready. Don't worry!" Kelly chuckled.</p><p>Kelly was curious to see how tomorrow night would go, but he was excited at the same time. He agreed that Molly's needed to shake up the bartenders a little bit, so it was a long time coming.</p><hr/><p>The night finally came for Kelly's big debut behind the bar at Molly's. Everyone was there, from 51 to 21 to Med, because they wanted to see how this would go. Kelly's never been behind the bar before, so could you blame them all for being there?</p><p>Stella was sitting in a barstool across from him. "You're actually doing a pretty good job so far!"</p><p>"Yeah, all I've been doing is getting beer. It's not that hard," Kelly said.</p><p>"I know, but the real test is making cocktails and mixed drinks!"</p><p>"Oh, you don't think I could do it?"</p><p>"I can, but I'm just saying. Sometimes, people have complicated orders and they can be hard to make sometimes."</p><p>"I'm up for the challenge! Bring it!" Stella smiled.</p><p>Suddenly, Sylvie walked up and asked Kelly for a cocktail. Her order was in and Kelly started making it. He put it in the tumbler and did all kinds of tricks with it, such as shaking it, spinning it, amongst other things. Stella was confused at what he was doing. When her drink was done, Kelly put it in a glass and gave it to Sylvie. Sylvie drank into it and was amazed. "Oh my god, how is this so good?" Stella motioned to give it to her to try it out. She did and she widened her eyes. "Damn, Kelly! This is amazing!" Kelly smiled, happy at this accomplishment. Everyone that heard Stella walked up to the bar to try the cocktail.</p><p>"Where did you learn to make good drinks like that?" Sylvie asked.</p><p>"Had to pay my way through the academy somehow," Kelly said.</p><p>"You worked as a bartender? I would've thought your dad would've paid for your academy tuition," Casey said.</p><p>"He was going to, but my mom got to him. Said I needed to work my way through the academy and not ride on my dad's coattails. I agreed with her, so I worked at a bar. Didn't say what I needed to do for work. The bar manager taught me all kinds of tricks on how to make cocktails and mixed drinks. Things that I would've never thought to do before. He called it the Art of Mixology," Kelly said.</p><p>"Wow. That's so cool!" Sylvie said. Everyone that was there couldn't agree more.</p><p>Herrmann walked up, hearing the conversation from the other side and asked Kelly, "Would you be okay with running the bar some nights? You're a hit here tonight and we need a mixed drinks expert!"</p><p>"Yeah, I'd be okay with that. As long as it's not every single night, you know what I mean?"</p><p>"I know exactly what you mean. Wouldn't want people to get bored of you real quick!" Everyone, Kelly and Herrmann included, chuckled at that.</p><p>Stella was excited that Kelly was actually having fun running the bar at Molly's. She was surprised that he had prior bartending experience. Why didn't he say anything about it before? When Kelly turned around, Stella kissed him.</p><p>"What was that for?" Kelly said, smiling.</p><p>"It was my turn to surprise you!" Stella replied. Kelly laughed.</p><p>The night at Molly's was almost over and with Kelly behind the bar, sales were through the roof. Herrmann was ecstatic. He was glad that he asked Kelly to run the bar before he found the sales. The plan was for him to put Stella and Kelly together some nights because they're going to be two of the best bartenders Molly's has yet.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. I Want You to Meet Someone</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>It's time for Kelly to introduce Stella to a good old friend of his.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This one was written after 9x02 when I was all up in my Shayveride feels, but again, this could apply to any part of future episodes if they bring Shay up again. In my opinion, I think that Stella being introduced to her is long overdue because we don't know if she knew who Shay was or not.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A couple weeks have passed since Kelly got Shay's door off of the previous ambo and replaced the door on the new ambo with that one. Shay's legacy deserved to be shown and told. As Kelly put it, she was a part of the "DNA of this firehouse." She was his best friend and when she died, he was devastated. He never thought he would find happiness again until he found Stella. Shay would be so proud of him right now. He is now a one woman man, and he wouldn't have it any other way. The only thing is: Stella doesn't know who Shay is. Kelly's about to change that, though.</p>
<hr/><p>Kelly asked Stella if she could ride with him somewhere after shift was over. She said yes but was very confused about where they would be going. Is he taking her on a date she doesn't know about? Is she in any kind of trouble? She needed to know! Stella asked around the firehouse, but no one knew except Casey, who was sworn to secrecy not to tell her. He tried not to smirk when he denied that he knew anything. This moment was important to Kelly. The last thing he needs is his best friend blowing it for him.</p>
<hr/><p>A few hours later at the end of shift, Stella got into Kelly's car and they were going to the mysterious location he still has yet to reveal. Kelly put the car in drive and they drove off. Casey smirked at them as they were leaving. He knew they would give him details at the apartment when they got back.</p><p>"Where are we going?" Stella asked.</p><p>"If I told you, then that would ruin the surprise," Kelly replied. He was met with an "Ugh!" Stella hated surprises if they involved her, but he needed to keep this under wraps.</p><p>"What about my car?"</p><p>"We'll drive back and get it later!" Stella nodded. It's not like her car was a hard color to spot. It was a blue Jeep Wrangler, so it would be easy to find in the parking lot.</p><p>The rest of the ride was in silence. What could they exactly talk about when Kelly is keeping mum? Eventually, Kelly found the location and put the car in park. They got out of the car and walked towards where they were going. Stella looked around, baffled.</p><p>"Kelly, why are we at a cemetery?" Stella asked.</p><p>"Because I want you to meet someone," Kelly said. "Someone that was very important to me in my life before you came along. You deserve to meet them."</p><p>The two of them walked towards the gravestone that Kelly was looking for. They found it and the engraving on it said: <em>Leslie Shay. Loving friend, daughter, and paramedic.</em></p><p>"Wait. Leslie Shay. Isn't her name on the door of the ambo?" Stella asked. She knew the name looked familiar!</p><p>"Yep." There was a pause before Kelly spoke again. "Shay was my best friend and roommate. We could tell each other everything. She was loved by everyone at 51. You would've loved her. She was very snarky and sarcastic, but she also showed her vulnerable side too."</p><p>"Was she ever more than friends with you?" Kelly chuckled.</p><p>"Stella, she was gay."</p><p>"Oh. Ok. That's cool!" Stella didn't have a problem with the LGBTQ community. As a matter of fact, there needs to be more representation of that in the firehouse. The only person in that community right now is Ritter, so hearing that there was someone else in that group made her happy.</p><p>"Shay, this is my girlfriend Stella." If you told Kelly 6 years ago that he'd be talking to his best friend's gravestone, he would've laughed in your face. "We've been dating on and off for a long time, but it's been permanently on for the past year or so. I know you would've loved to see me finally pull my head out of my ass." Stella chuckled. "You would've loved Stella, Shay. God, if you guys became best friends, I would've been in trouble!" Stella was in full laughter at this point. "You didn't deserve to die so soon. I miss you every day. I think about you all the time. So does everyone else at 51 that knew you. Casey, Herrmann, Cruz, Capp, Tony. Everyone. Nowadays, there are people coming and going that it doesn't feel the same as it did before. Dawson's gone. Otis is gone. Mills is gone." Telling Stella about everyone else that she didn't know before is a story for another day. "Speaking of Otis, I hope you met up with him and you kids are having fun up there." Stella smiled and a tear left her face. She wiped it with her hand. Who knew that Kelly Severide could be so vulnerable? "I love you so much. I'll see you later."</p><p>Kelly was crying now. Stella comforted him best she could. Shay meant so much to him, so it was understandable. They left the cemetery and went back to the apartment. Stella had so much more to learn about her.</p>
<hr/><p>Stella and Kelly arrived back at the apartment. Casey was sitting on the couch drinking a beer when he noticed them. "Hey. How was the trip to the cemetery?" he asked. Kelly went to another room to go get something.</p><p>"I knew you knew about it! Anyway, it was actually pretty good. Shay seemed like a cool person," Stella said.</p><p>"She was. We all loved her, as I'm sure Kelly told you already. She didn't deserve to go out like she did."</p><p>"How did she die? From what you and Kelly are saying, it sounded like it wasn't intentional."</p><p>"Oh, it was." Kelly walked back into the living room with a box in his hands. He sat on the couch in between Stella and Casey. "That was phrased wrong. Shay didn't want to die, but some sick psycho was stalking her and he was a known arsonist. 20 something years ago, he set a fire that killed a former member of my squad's father and injured Boden as well in the process. I guess he decided that Shay would be his next victim. We had a structure fire at a warehouse 6 years ago, May 13th. Turns out it was a setup by the guy. Dawson had Shay switch places with her because she wanted her to practice being PIC, since at the time, Dawson was getting ready to be a firefighter. That led to her death. Both of us were the most devastated. In the end, Antonio shot him and killed him." Stella was confused. Kelly was crying, so Casey took the lead on the next sentence. "The psycho was after Gabby next, so he trapped her in an elevator. Intelligence was on the case because Gabby told Antonio about it, so when he found out about it, he got his gun and shot him before the guy could set fire to the elevator."</p><p>"Wow," Stella said. She was shocked. Who would go to great lengths to kill someone so awesome?</p><p>"Yeah," Casey and Severide said in unison.</p><p>"What's in this box?" Stella asked.</p><p>"I am glad you asked," Kelly said. "This was everything memorable that I kept from my days living with Shay. We have a DVD of fun videos that we did. See that big tumbler up on the shelf over there?" Stella nodded. "Shay gave it to me. It's kinda funny, actually." Casey and Stella were going through everything in the box.</p><p>"How come you've never shown me the DVD?" Casey asked.</p><p>"Truth be told, when you helped me move out of my last place that I lived in with Shay, I watched some of it when you went upstairs. I didn't want anyone else to see me cry," Kelly replied.</p><p>"You don't have to be ashamed, Kelly. Why don't the three of us watch it together?" Kelly nodded. He got the DVD out of the case and put it into the player. The first thing that showed up was a funny video of Shay. Most of them were just videos that Severide filmed with Shay in front of the camera.</p><p>"<em>Are we being quiet? Are we being serious?"</em></p><p>Most of the videos they got a good laugh out of. When it came time for them to watch Shay and Kelly making the contract, they knew that tears were bound to come. All throughout that video, they were misty eyed. When Shay said "Promise to be there for each other. Always. No matter what.", the three of them were crying. Shay left a huge impact on their lives, Stella included, and she's never met her until now.</p><p>"Wow. That was…. powerful!" Stella said, wiping her tears away. "Shay seemed like an awesome person. I'm so happy you guys were willing to tell me about her."</p><p>"I was glad to introduce you to her," Kelly said. "If you ever want to know more about her or our days at the firehouse before you came, we'd be glad to tell you." Stella nodded.</p><p>Leslie Shay's legacy will always be remembered among everyone at Firehouse 51. Kelly made sure to tell everyone that walked through those doors about her. Casey chimed in sometimes as well. If Shay could see Kelly now, the changed man that he is, she would be so proud of him. Shay will always be Kelly's best friend and he was glad that he was able to find happiness again. He knew that Shay wouldn't have wanted him to mope around for the rest of his life.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Cabin Christmas</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Stella and Kelly spend Christmas at his family's cabin in Kenosha.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This one was obviously written around Christmastime and I know it's almost spring time.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Stella and Kelly couldn't wait for their shift to be over. The reason for that being the two of them are heading to his family's cabin in Kenosha straight from the firehouse. Everyone was happy that they were getting Christmas Eve and Christmas Day off. It didn't happen too often, but when it did, they made the most of it.</p><hr/><p>Shift finally ended and the happy couple was more than ready to leave. They ran into Casey and Brett along the way and waved goodbye to them. Casey and Brett were heading up to Rockford to see her baby sister, Amelia. Kelly decided that they were going out for breakfast before they headed out on the road.</p><p>An hour or so later, Stella and Kelly finally arrived in Kenosha, which means that the cabin isn't too far out. They actually ran into Casey and Brett again when they were on the road towards Hwy 90. Stella saw them and stuck her tongue out at Brett, who did it right back to her. If they weren't so focused on the road, Casey and Severide would've waved at each other, but they just resorted to laughing at the scene in front of them.</p><p>Kelly and Stella finally arrived at the cabin not too long after and he put the car in park. Stella got the key because she was very ecstatic to be here. Kelly just chuckled and shook his head while he got the bags out of the trunk. They decided that they were going to get some much needed sleep because not only did they just come off of a brutal shift, but the ride to the cabin was tiring in itself.</p><hr/><p>A few hours later, Stella woke up and saw that the sun went down. They must have been down and out for the count! She was hungry, so she started pulling out ingredients to make dinner. She also got the coffee pot going too.</p><p>Half an hour later, she felt strong arms wrap around her and smiled. Stella didn't even have to turn around to know who it was. "Hey!" Stella said.</p><p>"Hey. What are you making?" Kelly replied.</p><p>"Chicken fettuccine alfredo. There's coffee ready." Kelly walked over to the coffee pot, got a mug out of the cabinet, and poured himself a cup.</p><p>"Sounds good." Kelly then walked over to the fireplace and got a fire going. He then sat on the couch and watched Stella work her cooking magic.</p><p>A little while later, dinner was ready and the two of them ate their pasta while making tons of conversation. Stella was talking about Girls on Fire and how it was going. Kelly was so proud of his girlfriend. She wanted to help out the next generation of female firefighters and that was something to be super proud of!</p><hr/><p>An hour later, Stella was sitting on the couch with a beer in her hand watching the fire. Kelly soon joined her not long after with a beer of his own in his hand. She leaned into him and he wrapped an arm around her. They sat watching the fire in silence for a bit.</p><p>"You know, this is the best Christmas I've had in awhile, right?" Stella said.</p><p>"Me too. Most of the time, we're usually on shift on Christmas so actually having it off this year is nice," Kelly replied.</p><p>"Yeah. Plus, Christmas was really nothing special in my life prior to this year. Like you said, we are always on shift so we didn't get to celebrate it. It was that way in my personal life too. I wanted Christmas to be special, but with the way our jobs are, it wasn't possible." Kelly nodded. He agreed with her on that 100%.</p><p>"When I was little, I had two Christmases. One with my mom and one with my dad and whichever wife he had at that time. It was nice, but I just wanted us to be together as a family and my parents were too bitter towards each other for that to happen. As I got older and became a firefighter, I moved to 51 and it was there that I actually enjoyed and appreciated Christmas because everyone there treated me like family more than my own parents did. That's what I've been wanting for the longest time. It's sad that it wasn't from my parents though." Both of them started crying. Stella's never heard this story before. This is why Kelly was so persistent in not becoming who Benny was. For that, she was grateful.</p><p>"I'm so sorry you had to go through that Kelly."</p><p>"Don't be. One year, I went to Colorado to visit Katie for Christmas because my dad was being annoying and I just wanted to escape. In terms of my actual family, that was the best Christmas that I've had. Katie and I have always gotten along great in the few years that we've known each other." Stella was glad that Kelly had someone in his actual family that he can get along with. Although if you asked him who his family was, he would say everyone at 51, including the love of his life.</p><p>Kelly and Stella sat watching the fire until they eventually fell asleep on the couch. They stayed that way all night and didn't get up once. They were too content in each other's arms and honestly, it's where they wanted to be forever.</p><hr/><p>It was finally Christmas Day. The morning sky was cloudy, but it was still bright enough to shine inside the cabin. Stella woke up again and looked out the window. She gasped in excitement. Snow was on the ground and there was lots of it. <em>Boy, was I glad that I packed my snow boots! </em>Stella thought. A white Christmas was always something to look forward to. Kelly woke up, curious to see what his girlfriend was so excited about.</p><p>"What are you so happy about?" Kelly asked, sleepily. He walked over to the window where Stella was.</p><p>"It snowed! We have a white Christmas this year!" Stella replied. Kelly looked out the window, and sure enough, there was snow.</p><p>"Huh. Would you look at that? I'm assuming you want to go outside in it."</p><p>"You assumed right!"</p><p>Stella went to change her clothes to make her outfit weather appropriate. It was just jeans, a sweatshirt, and her snow boots. She put her puffer coat on along with a beanie and went outside. Kelly did the same routine and followed her out. Stella was looking at the snow, in awe at how much there was. However, she was suddenly snapped out of it when a gob of snow hit the back of her coat. Stella turned around to Kelly's victorious smirk.</p><p>"Oh. You wanna play? It's so on!" Stella said, and she grabbed snow, formed it into a ball, and threw it at Kelly. The snowball fight officially began and the happy couple was going at it for a while. Eventually, it ended with a kiss.</p><p>Both of them weren't kidding when they said that it was the best Christmas they've had in a long time. Kelly also wasn't kidding when he said that he wanted to go having their kids, grandkids, and Stella surrounding him. He was in this for the long haul, and she was as well. They wouldn't have it any other way.</p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. 10 Minutes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Firehouse 51 gets called to a scene just before the tail end of the countdown. Can they make it out of the building before the seconds to the new year wind down?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Again, another holiday one shot that was written around New Years. Forgive me!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Everyone at Firehouse 51 was sitting in the common room watching a New Year's special on TV. There was about 20 minutes until the countdown and they were all getting antsy. Why can't it just be January 1st already? Suddenly, the bells went off. Everyone groaned. Fires don't stop on New Years.</p><p>
  <em>
    <strong>ENGINE 51, TRUCK 81, SQUAD 3, AMBULANCE 61, BATTALION 25: STRUCTURE FIRE</strong>
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</p><p>Commotion rose in the common room as everyone was scrambling to get into their trucks. "Alright, the countdown just hit the 20 minute mark. If we can make it quick, we can get back to witness the ball drop!" Stella said. The siren lights came on everywhere and off they went.</p><hr/><p>10 minutes later, the fire trucks and ambulance arrived at the scene. The fire was smoking pretty big. Casey, Herrmann, and Severide barked out orders to their respective squads and everyone followed those orders. They had 10 minutes to fulfill Stella's wish after all. Hopefully, 10 minutes was all they needed.</p><p>Truck 81 decided to go to the first floor, while Squad 3 handled the second floor and Engine handled the third floor. When the victims were found, anyone that was with them helped them out of the building and sent them to ambo. However, Stella got held up because she found another victim. When she saw Herrmann and Ritter walk by with their victim, she called out their names. Herrmann saw that she was with another victim, told Ritter to take their victim out of the building, and helped Stella get her victim up and out.</p><p>Mostly everyone was out and Boden was getting ready to say that time's up. Before he could, Kelly looked around and was worried. "Where the hell is Stella?" Everyone shrugged. Ritter walked out with a victim. Severide then walked up to Casey. "She's your responsibility. You were supposed to keep track of her! Where is she?"</p><p>"How the hell should I know? She probably saw another victim and wanted to make sure they were okay!" Kelly eased at Casey's words and shot his best friend an apologetic look. "She was okay last time I checked." Kelly nodded. Casey understood and nodded back. Across the street, they could hear the seconds winding down until the new year starts. <em><strong>15, 14, 13, 12…</strong></em></p><hr/><p>Herrmann and Stella then walked out with the victim and sent them over to Brett and Mackey. Kelly breathed a huge sigh of relief. Stella took off her mask and walked over to her boyfriend. Once the fireworks started going off, she kissed Kelly. It was going for a minute or two and rather passionately. Everyone was smiling. Stella got her wish alright!</p><p>"What was that for?" Kelly asked.</p><p>"An <em>I'm sorry for scaring you half to death </em>kiss. Plus, happy new year!" Stella said. Kelly chuckled. He loved that his girlfriend knew that he was scared during the last moments of the fire. The happy couple hugged and then walked back to their respective trucks. Stella was happy that she was able to get her New Years' kiss. That was the only thing that she wanted to happen tonight. When people are going to ask her about her most memorable New Year's, she's going to tell them about this one. It's the best one she's had and she thinks that nothing can top it.</p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Fight for Your Right to Lead</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Kelly heard through the grapevine that some of the higher ups were saying some things about Stella becoming lieutenant. What is she going to say when he tells her?</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This one is based off of 9x03 and how I think it should've gone because that shutting her out arc really went on for far too long than it needed to and I just needed to write something that I can actually get behind.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Kelly could not believe what he just heard. Did Chief Conway really say those things about Stella? Boden was the one that recommended her, not Kelly. Stella worked her butt off to get to where she is without anybody's help. The fact that a chauvinistic chief can't accept the fact that women can become leaders doesn't sit well with Kelly. <em>Did he forget that there are women in OFI? </em>he thought. He can't let Conway win. Stella deserves to know what was said about her.</p><hr/><p>When Ken, the guy that Severide saved from the fire, walked out of the firehouse, Stella tells her boyfriend that she's excited to study for the test with him. "You're still planning on helping me out with the squad stuff, right?" Stella asked.</p><p>"Yeah." Stella saw the look on his face. Something was up.</p><p>"What's wrong, Kelly?" He sighed and nodded towards his quarters. The couple walked there and Kelly shut the door. "When I went to headquarters to get further information on the warehouse fire, I ran into Chief Conway. He said some things about you."</p><p>"Things? What things? Are they good?" Kelly pursed his lips together.</p><p>"Not exactly. I'm not happy about what he said either. Anyway, he said that your ability doesn't matter compared to how it would look if a woman was lieutenant. Conway also said that because you're dating me, it will be a whole lot easier for you to slide through the ranks. Really pissed me off with that one."</p><p>"Well, did you punch him?"</p><p>"As much as I wanted to, I love this job, so I didn't."</p><p>"I don't think Boden would've held it against you if you punched Conway."</p><p>"I know, but I didn't punch him because I don't want to jeopardize anything for you. You've come so far and worked your ass off to get where you are. I wasn't going to ruin that." Stella smiled at him and Kelly returned it.</p><p>"Well, I have some choice words for him myself. Who does he think he is? That chauvinist pig! There are women working at OFI. There are female chiefs in this department. There are women that are lieutenants right now and damn good ones, might I add. Can he not see that?" Stella was infuriated right now. Kelly was thinking the same thing.</p><p>"Apparently not."</p><p>"Yeah I could go to Boden with this, but that would be taking the easy way out." Kelly had a curious look on his face. "If he wants to say things like that, he can say it to my face. I'm not going down without a fight." Kelly smiled at her.</p><p>"See, this is why I love you!" he said. Stella chuckled and shared a kiss with Kelly before the bells went off. <em>Just wait until shift is over, Conway! </em>she thought.</p><hr/><p>Once shift was over, Kelly and Stella arrived at OFI so Stella could give Chief Conway a piece of his mind. He deserves it after what he said about her. The two of them got out of the car and walked inside. Kelly walked towards the bench before Stella started talking again. "Are you sure you don't want me to back out of this?"</p><p>"No. He deserves it. Go in there and be the badass woman I fell in love with." Kelly kissed her and Stella smiled before she walked into the main office where Conway was. He sat down on the bench. It was best if he did not get involved because he would get physical and nobody needed that right now.</p><hr/><p>Stella walked into the office. Chief Conway spotted her. "Ah, Stella, what brings you here? Do you have a question about the test? Did I leave anything out at the meeting?" Stella wanted to roll her eyes so bad, but she refrained for now.</p><p>"I wanted to talk to you about what you said to my boyfriend about me that you couldn't say straight to my face," Stella replied.</p><p>"I have no idea what you're talking about."</p><p>"Don't give me that load of crap! You think Kelly wouldn't have told me? That this was just going to get swept under the rug? That you wanted me to back out because according to you, women can't hang with the leaders?" There were people sitting at their desks around them watching this exchange, but Stella didn't care. Plus, everyone else knew better than to get involved. If they had to guess, Kelly came with her and if he needed to come in, it wouldn't be pretty.</p><p>"I would watch what you're saying right now, Stella. The test may not be a possibility-"</p><p>"I don't care about some damn test at the moment!" Conway flinched. "Women can kick ass at anything. Hell, they can do a lot of things a hell of a lot better than men can. There are female chiefs in this department. There are female lieutenants that do a damn good job at what they do! A little example if I may: Wendy Seager. She helped my boyfriend out when he got moved to OFI for a little while. She didn't have to, but she did. She is a badass who doesn't take crap from anybody. Wendy also signed off on me doing Girls on Fire, my program that I LEAD every week. Those girls love it so much, so if you have a problem with females in the CFD, then you're in the wrong place because the girls that I teach, every one of them has said that I inspired them to become a firefighter when the time is right. Female firefighters, chiefs, and lieutenants are on the rise. It's about time you start accepting that." Stella walked out, satisfied that she said what she needed to say. Kelly smirked at her.</p><p>"I could hear everything you said from out here! You were great!" Stella smiled. "How do you feel?"</p><p>"So good! I'm glad you told me what he said about me. I also love that you let me stand my ground alone." It was Kelly's turn to smile.</p><p>"Hey, you're more badass than me. I love it when you stand your ground. You're one of the toughest people I know, Stella Kidd." Stella was about ready to cry. Kelly always knew what to say to make the moment feel good. The two of them walked out of OFI happy with the fact that they have each other. Whatever happens with Stella's fate in terms of the lieutenant's exam, they'll have each other's backs no matter what.</p><hr/><p>It did help that the next day, Kelly found out from a little birdie aka Boden that Conway was no longer administering the exam due to the fact that he was fired and was replaced by none other than newly minted Chief Wendy Seager. When Seager told Stella the news, she followed it up with "About damn time someone called him out on his crap." Stella couldn't be happier and Kelly couldn't be more proud of his girlfriend for saying what was on her mind. That's what he loved about her, after all!</p>
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